Special Ones
by bloodredcherry
Summary: AU. Doom rewritten. What if there were more survivors? Movieverse. Chapter Two Added.
1. Chapter 1

**&&&**

**Authors Note: **Hello! I see you have clicked on this story, which is the first step:So welcome! However first things first…

This is a purely movie-verse fic.

If Alternate Universe is not your cup of tea— run away now, fast as you can. There will be alsosome liberties taken in regards to what happens in the movie. First of all, the Sarge does not go all crazy-robot-evil in this fan fiction, because it made me cranky. I thought it was pretty random. And because it wouldn't be that much of a story if everyone died.

Also,this story is from the POV of an Original Character so again, run away if these characters a) make you want to cry orb) vomit in your own mouth.This story _not_ going to be a romance… at least, not so far as I know.

This story is for entertainment only—it is not meant to be an in-depth look into military procedures and organizations. I'm just bored on the long weekend!

So, I guess you can flame me if you really want to. Just know you will look like a fool if you flame me about any of the above things because **you have been warned**.

_ANYWAY_.

If this **AN** has not scared you away, I hope you enjoy this story and that you leave me a bit of a review at the end of the chapters as you read! Comments and constructive criticism make my day!

**Disclaimer**: The only thing's that belong to me are any characters you don't recognize. _Everything else belongs to their respective owners._

**Summary**: AU. Doom re-written. What if there were more survivors? Including a young tech stationed at the Union Aerospace Corporation research facility based on Olduvai, Mars who has crawled into an air vent and finds herself trapped just as the only place she's called home for the past four years suddenly goes to hell.

**Rating**: M due to language and violence.

Special Ones 

Her feet were asleep.

"Shit," she whimpered. As if being crammed into an air vent with minimal oxygen wasn't bad enough. She tried to wriggle her toes and the only result was the dull clanging against the metal from her poor choice of work shoes.

It just so happened that today was not her day. Hailey Ralston should have known that the moment she busted a shoelace of her left running shoe.

Hailey would have scoffed at the superstition if it wasn't for the fact that at the present moment she was hiding in and air vent, with her legs resting horizontallyand her head and shoulders hanging over a sharp decline of the vent. The latter caused the metal to dig painfully into her shoulder blades. There was also the fact that the entire UAC facility was on a quarantine lockdown. Hailey had heard as much before the power cut out. It took the generators a full five minutes to reboot, and by then the facility had descended into chaos.

The intercom cut out and the bathroom faded to pitch black. Hailey widened her eyes in the stall, and sat for a full minute before realizing she needed _to get the fuck out of there! _So she quickly washed her hands and opened the door looking out into the dark hallway. She heard shouting, but it was a distant sound, and then she heard the sound of feet pounding on metal and a frantic yell. She did the only thing she could think of at the time. She ran down the hallway and turned into a room. It was a supply closet, full of extra latex gloves, syringes, and other medical supplies. There was an airvent two feet below the ceiling. Hailey grabbed a chair and used the shelves as a makeshift ladder, praying that they would hold under her weight. The whole was just the right size for her to squeeze into, so she pried the vent open and then she climbed in.

She found that the creeping feeling of claustrophobia was easier to bear when she was on her back, not on her stomach. She had inched down the vent, knowing she had to get _somewhere_. Especially after hearing what had happened just outside her air vent.

It seemed like only minutes ago that she had heard the screams—frantic, terrified—and then silence but only for a few seconds before the crunching. Hailey had felt her stomach heave but she'd clamped her teeth shut and forced herself to swallow her vomit. Then she had opened her mouth, and took slow silent breaths. It felt like minutes but it had probably been closer to hours.

Hailey had to move, _now_. She took a shaky breath and lifted her hands, pressing them to the metal above her head. The only problem was the fact that walking down a hallway was one thing; trying to navigate oneself through a series of air vents was something entirely different.

The pins and needles were slowly spreading up her shin and calf, if she didn't change her position—and soon, her legs would fall asleep and she wasn't about to let that happen.

"All right," she whispered, "just do it already." She inched her hands a few inches past her head, then she bent her legs, flinching as the metal bent and rumbled under her weight. She pushed herself backwards with her legs, trying to use her hands to help propel her.

She gritted her teeth as the edge of the metal bit into the skin of her back. Suddenly she slipped backwards and let out a shriek. Her stomach was resting up in her throat and her hands were pressed to the side of the vent to keep herself from plunging backwards. She couldn't hold herself for long.

"Oh God," she muttered, and then she lost her grip.

She screamed as she fell backwards, she flailed her arms, but only managed to bash her funny bone before her head suddenly made contact with the metal wall of the vent. She moaned, as white dots flashed in front of her eyes.

Hailey tried to gather her bearings and then she heard a low murmuring. She strained her ears. It was a low sound, and muffled to the point of being unintelligible. She shifted, trying to move so she could access the damage on the back of her head and she let out another shriek as her backside slipped into a hole beneath her. The next sound she heard was unmistakable, it was a loud metallic snap—the sound of atrigger being cocked.

"Please!" She cried, "Please don't shoot me." Hailey struggled to sit up, it was a difficult task but finally she managed it. "I need your help!" She screamed, hoping her voice would carry through the vents. She looked down, where her feet were now dangling, and took a deep breath. She pushed off the edge of the air vent and hoped the rusted metal at the bottom of the drop would give out under her weight.

A scream tore out of Hailey's throat just as she felt the impact of her feet against the metal. It gave andit was only free falling and rushing cool air for a few seconds before Hailey landed on something solid that let out a disgruntled:

"Fuck me!"

Whatever Hailey landed on crumpled to the ground, taking Hailey with it. Shelay still for a moment, whoever she had landed on—their elbow was digging painfully into her right shoulder. Her ankles were smarting, and her arms were beginning to throb. She lay still trying to catch her breath.Suddenly something grabbed her arm and wrenched her onto her feet.

Hailey didn't have time to scream before she was thrown back against a wall. She barely felt the impact, her mind was focused on other pains, and her adrenaline was filling in all the other gaps.

"Reaper, you okay?" The man who was holding Hailey asked.

There was a beat before Reaper replied, "Yeah, just got the wind knocked out of me."

Hailey slowly opened her eyes, and was face to face with the barrel of a gun, in a beat the barrel was moved to the left and was replaced by a face.

"Careful, Goat."

"…" Hailey opened her mouth to speak, "I—" she finally managed. "My name is Hailey Ralston, ID 4326… I'm a t-tech. My identification and key card are in the inside pocket of my lab coat…"

The man who Hailey assumed was Goat made no move to reach for her ID card; instead he looked back to Reaper who was pushing himself up off the floor.

"What the hell were you doing in the vent?" Reaper demanded.

Hailey wet her lips, "I was in…" she paused, "I didn't have time to get out before they locked us down." She tried to catch Reaper's eyes, "and… something ate—" her voice hitched in her throat, she closed her mouth and then she felt her eyes burn and she blinked. Hailey shrugged.

"What the hell happened here?"

"A level five breech, that's all I caught before the power cut out."

"A 'level five breech' means shit to me," the man holding her snapped. "_What got out_?"

"I- I'm just an archaeological tech two." Hailey stuttered, "I work with Dr. Stahl and Dr. Grimm; I don't work in Genetics—".

Reaper sighed. "Come on; we'd better let Sarge know andget her to the infirmary."

"Is… that thing, is it still out there?" Hailey asked. Goat took a few steps back, but still kept a tight hold on her arm.

Reaper shrugged, "I have no fucking idea."

&&&

"We found someone Sarge."

Hailey squinted into the darkness at the man called Reaper spoke into what Hailey assumed was a comm. piece attached to his ear. Reaper paused for a beat before he continued speaking.

"She's a civilian," Reaper nodded, "appears to be human."

"Appears—?" Hailey blurted.

"Quiet," Goat snapped and Hailey complied miserably.

Reaper finally nodded, "use extreme caution? Right, over."

Hailey wasn't an expert, but 'extreme caution' sounded anything but good. Goat still had a tight grip on her arm and when Reaper motioned at him to go forward he yanked Hailey forward so she was positioned between the two of them. Hailey took a deep breath; they were right by Dr. Carmack's office which meant they were not too far from the infirmary.

"I think…" Hailey whispered, "I think I broke my ankle." Goat looked back at her and glanced down at her feet.

"Not if you're still walking on it. That cut looks nasty though."

Hailey glanced down at her arm, where her fall through the vent had torn a hole through her lab coat and a two inch gash down her forearm. She snorted, "thanks for the concern."

"We're almost to the infirmary," Reaper said from his position in front of her. "We don't know what is walking around here, so we need to be _silent_ until we get there."

Hailey swallowed and then she nodded. Suddenly there was a noise, it was down the hall. A gasp tore its way out of Hailey's throat and she stumbled back.

"We heard a noise in Genetics," Reaper said into his comm. "we're going to check it out."

"What about me?" Hailey asked.

"You know where the infirmary is?" Reaper asked.

"Yes," Hailey replied.

"Can you get there?"

"I—well, I guess so."

"Then get there," Reaper said gesturing to Goat.

Hailey pulled her key pad out of her pocket and she went forward as Goat and Reaper went to the left. Hailey peered around the corner into the dim hallway. She looked quickly both ways andthen made a mad dash down the hallway. Just as she turned the corner she heard rounds of gunfire—from behind her.

The door to the infirmary seemed miles away, but finally she reached it and scanned her card frantically. Her fingers fumbled over the key pad but the nanowall of concrete dissolved before her and she let out a sigh of relief.

She stepped over the threshold and into the large infirmary; she hit the button on the pad on the inside of the door. Then she turned and slumped against the door, and looked up into the shocked faces of Dr. Grimm and a tall black man that Hailey assumed was another member of the RRTS.

"Hailey?" Dr. Grimm asked, "What the hell are you still doing here?"

"I didn't have anytime to get out." She said, realizing how stupid that answer sounded. It sounded like getting out of a facility after a level five breech just wasn't that important. No more important than going to relieve herself after drinking four cups of coffee. "I was in the bathroom when the power cut out." Hailey took a deep breath, "I think I need to sit down for a minute," she said. She walked over to a stool that sat in front of a computer consol.

"Hey man," the man standing beside Dr. Grimm spoke suddenly. Hailey jumped and looked up, she realized he wasn't talking to her but into his comm. "Yeah, she's here." He looked up at Hailey and then nodded, "alright, over. That was Reaper," he told Dr. Grimm, "we're supposed to keep an eye on this one. Apparently she fell out of an air vent."

"Jumped," Hailey cut in.

"Are you okay?" Samantha asked.

"In a manner of speaking," Hailey replied. "I'm pretty sure I sprained my ankle, and I cut my arm pretty bad." Hailey tried to smile it off, like it was nothing, but then she saw the man who was being held down on the gurney. "Is that Doctor Carmack?" Samantha nodded. "Is he okay?"

"That's what we're trying to find out."

"What happened?" Hailey asked. "I take that it's not just a rabid dog."

"Nah," the man beside Samantha replied, "you're probably right."

Samantha looked over at him, "Duke, meet Hailey, she's one of my technicians. Hailey, the med kits are in the cupboard behind the counter. They should have gauze and tenser bandages."

"Thanks," Hailey said, she pushed herself up onto her feet. She hobbled over to the counter using it for support as she walked around it.

"Dr. Carmack," Hailey heard Samantha say, "I'm just going to draw some blood."

Hailey pulled open a cupboard door and found a med kit; she pulled one out and tore it open. Inside there was a package of disinfectant gel, a ready syringe of anesthesia, five gauze packs and two tensor bandages. Haley shrugged off her lab coat, laying it across the counter. She looked down at her arm, the cut was jagged but it appeared to be shallow.

She tore open the package of disinfectant and then opened a gauze package—squirting some gel into the center of the pad. She rubbed it along her arm, cleaning the blood from the surrounding skin before she began to work on the cut.

"Oh my God," Samantha uttered.

Hailey looked over to the gurney, Dr. Grimm was bent over.

"There's something in his blood."

Hailey's ears perked up with that comment.

"That's not so good, is it?"Hailey asked.

"I'm just going to do a few tests," Dr. Grimm replied, ignoring Hailey's question.

Hailey quickly squirted some of the antiseptic gel onto another gauze pad. She ran it over the wound, hoping that she would get out any grit that might have got into the cut. Then she unrolled one of the tensor bandages and wrapped it around her arm, using that to secure the gauze pad.

"Just stay there and rest, Dr. Carmack," Samantha said softly. "Everything is going to be fine."

"Isn't there some ethical rule about lying to your patient?" Duke muttered under his breath. Then he glanced up at Hailey, "you need help?"

"Yeah actually," Hailey held up the second tensor bandage, "with my ankle."

Samantha excused herself to another room holding the vial of Dr. Carmack's blood in her hand and Duke came over to where Hailey was standing.

"So you're a technician with Dr. Grimm?" Duke asked.

"Yeah," Hailey said, hobbling over to a stool. She sat down and bent over to unzip her right boot. "I pretty much poke around at the desert all day," Hailey tried for a smile but was certain that it came out as more of a grimace.

"That looks swollen," Duke said as Hailey peeled off her boot.

"Well, it did connect with a metal grate before it connected with Reaper's head," Hailey quipped.

Duke laughed, and then he reached out and tenderly pulled down Hailey's sock. She held out the tensor bandage and Duke took it from her.

He probed her ankle with his finger; he found a tender spot that made Hailey yelp when he touched it. Duke made quick work of her ankle, and patted it gently when he was finished.

"That too tight?"

Hailey tentatively moved her foot, her ankle was supported but the bandage wasn't restraining all of her movement. "Nope, just right. Thanks."

"My pleasure," Duke replied.

Dr. Grimm stuck her head around the corner, "Duke, there's something I think you should look at."

Hailey didn't wait for an invitation before cramming her newly bandaged foot back into her boot and following Duke into the other room where Samantha had run the blood test.

Hailey saw the computer screen, "no blood match?" She asked.

"That can't be good," Duke muttered.

"This is crazy," Samantha sighed. "It doesn't make any sense."

"Does it have anything to do with the breech, and whatever the hell it was that attacked Dr. Stahl?" Hailey asked, hearing the panicked tone of her voice.

Samantha looked Hailey right in the face.

"Everything is going to be fine."

Somehow Hailey found that hard to believe.

"I just have to check on Dr. Carmack, I'll be right back."

Samantha made her way back to the other room, Duke following behind. Hailey took a deep breath.

_Everything is going to be fine_, she told herself.

"Where did he go?"

Hailey felt the blood drain from her face.

* * *

**End Note**: It may have seemed OOC for Reaper and Goat to talk so much to Hailey, but they know she is a civilian, and they are whispering, not talking in their normal voices.

Also, we're going to pretend that Dr. Carmack didn't escape until roughly ten minutes later than he did. Sorry for that, but for the purpose of this story Jenna Willets left before they took the blood sample.

There are a few lines borrowed from the film, just because I am attempting to run in some kind of sequence with the movie (however loosely).

_This story will be continued in chapter two..._


	2. Chapter 2

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**Authors Note**: Many thanks to my friend Kevin, who I have been bouncing ideas off of and who basically told me to _write it already_.

Anyway, this is the second installment of the story, and needless to say it has been vexing. Despite the fact that this story is labeled **AU** something inside of me clings desperately to cannon.

Anyway, as you read this story, I am sure you will notice a lot of similarities to the movie but also many differences. Also, there will be events from the movie that are missing because this is from Hailey's point of view, and obviously she's not around for everything. This chapter is alsowhen things really begin to change.

Oh, and the powers that be (that's me!) have decided that Goat shall live. His death leads to an important discovery in the movie yes, but that will be taken care of—fear not! And I don't really feel like calling Sarge "that man"so I'm just going to call him Sarge.

**Disclaimer**: Only the characters that you don't recognize belong to me. There are a lot of familiar lines in this chapter—they are from the movie. That won't be happening much more after this chapter.

**Warning**: For language. They like to drop the F-bomb.

* * *

Chapter Two

* * *

"Jesus," Hailey breathed, as she stared at the empty, blood spattered gurney that had held Dr. Carmack only moments before. "Where did he go?" 

"I don't know," Samantha replied.

Just then the nanowall dissolved and the RRTS team burst through the door. Reaper and another, more muscular man were leading the way, two other men that Hailey did not recognize were following after them, and they appeared to be dragging something behind them.

"What happened?" Samantha demanded.

"Doctor, you are going to tell what the fuck is going on up here!" Hailey glanced at his insignia—Sergeant.

Samantha looked perplexed, "what?"

"Get over here," the man demanded, and when Samantha didn't comply he only yelled louder. "Come _here_!" Samantha took a few steps forward. "This is what." Hailey saw the green bag that the two soldiers had been dragging and watched asSarge yanked the bag back.

Samantha cried out, covering her mouth in disgust.

Hailey screamed, and then she choked. She bent over and retched. That… that _thing_, it looked like a piece of decaying flesh and its eyes… it had too many eyes and gaping mouth of bloody fangs. She felt her knees buckle and she fell to the floor.

"Ah shit!" She heard someone exclaim.

"Kid," Sarge barked, "clean her up." Sarge turned to Samantha, "I want you to tell me, have you ever seen anything like this on your dig?"

Hailey shook her head, no, if she had she would have remembered! Bones they had found bones, partially intact skeletons and Lucy—the fully intact skeleton. Pots, they found pots and rudimentary tools. No fucking six foot hulking monsters with eight eyes.

Hailey felt hands touching her shoulder and she flinched back.

"Hey," a voice spoke to her, "its okay."

Hailey laughed, it sounded hysterical. She pointed blindly in the direction of the Thing. "You call _that_, okay?" She felt something soft being pressed into her hands, it was a towel. She wiped at her mouth and then dropped it onto the floor.

"Take a drink," Hailey looked up and into the face of a kid. He looked younger than she was and he was trying to smile and he was holding a black canister. Hailey snatched the container out of his hands and took a drink. "Go slow—" Hailey ignored him, and took another swig, gulping it down.

"Portman, shut up!"

Hailey looked up.

Samantha looked angry, "oh yeah," she scoffed, "like an _alien_?"

"_Look at that thing_!"

"Portman, you need to shut the fuck up!"

"No."

Hailey knew that voice, it was Goat. He was staring down at the Thing, his face looked stoic, but his eyes gave more away. He looked away before Hailey could place the emotion.

"Goat's right," Reaper said, "that's not what we shot at in genetics."

"You mean to say there are more of these things?"

"Oh my God," Hailey blurted, "Doctor Carmack!" She looked at Samantha, who had a stricken look on her face.

"That's the civilian?" Sarge demanded.

"Yes," Hailey replied, "my name is Hailey Ralston, ID 4326—"

Sarge cut her off, "What the hell is she talking about?"

Samantha took a deep breath, "Dr. Carmack went missing a few minutes ago."

"Missing?"

"He disappered."

Sarge closed his eyes for a moment, trying to gather together the few shards of patience he had left. "Look," he said giving up on Samantha for the moment and turning to Hailey."They are evacuating everyone," just as he said that a clear female voice came over the intercom.

"_All personnel please make your way to atrium for evacuation. This is not a drill._"

"Kid," Sarge said, "Portman, you take Miss. Ralston to the Atrium."

Portman had the sense not to groan, even though he did roll his eyes. Kid offered his hand andHailey took it and stood up, albeit shakily.

"Let's get this over with," Portman snapped.

"You're not coming?" Hailey asked Samantha.

"No," Samantha answered, "I have to stay here and retrieve the rest of the data."

"Oh," was all Hailey could think of to say, she looked at Duke, "thanks again." She said before Kid laid a hand on her shoulder, gently pushing her forward.

"Come on!" Portman yelled.

"Alright," Hailey snapped, "I get the idea." Hailey walked to the key pad and entered the code, the nanowall dissolved and Portman pointed at Kid.

"You take the front, I'll take the rear." Hailey caught a very pointed look down and took a deep breath.

The three of them stepped out into the empty hallway. Hailey could hear the Sarge barkingmore questions.

Hailey took another shaky breath, she stepped forward and clutched onto the back of Kid's jacket.

"Ain't that precious," Portman snapped. "Look here, the Atrium is just down the hall to the left. We should get there in five minutes."

Hailey swallowed, and made a face. She had a very bad taste in the back of her throat. It was strange to be going home. Just like it was strange how she had gone to bed the night before feeling happy that she had found a job where she felt challenged only to wake up and have her entire life thrown into madness.

It would have been a lie to say that she hadn't heard rumors about a little pet project going on at Olduvai, but that was all she knew. A few whispered rumors that had been through so many mouths Hailey had laughed at how absurd they had sounded. If she had of had any idea how true to form those bizarre rumors would turn out she would have clocked out of her shiftand taken the first Ark home running.

She wondered…

Hailey shook her head. She couldn't think about that right now. Who mightstill betrapped inside the facility. On some far recess of another floor—if she thought to hard about that she would sit down and never get up.

She had to keep walking, one foot in front of the other.

An eerie sound floated down the corridor, Hailey froze in her spot and Portman who was glancing behind him, gun at the ready plowed right into her.

"What the hell?" He muttered indignantly.

Hailey covered her mouth with her hand and shook her head frantically.

"What did you hear?" He was talking close to her ear, Hailey shrugged. Whatever it was, it wasn't good.

Portman gently pushed past Hailey and began sweeping his gun light down the hallway. He stopped when the light flashed on the face of what looked like a Pit Bull. Hailey jumped, letting go of Kid. Something wasn't right about the dog… his muzzle was open, his tongue was lagging and its face was blood red.

"Jesus Christ." Portman cursed, he stepped back and his flashlight jerked up to reveal the twisted face of one of the creatures. Whose hand was presently yanking the dogs intestines from its belly.

"Oh shit!"

The monster moved faster than any of them anticipated. Portman took a step to the left, and Kid went the opposite direction leaving Hailey unprotected in the pathway of the creature that was now barreling towards them.

"Get down!" Portman yelled, charging in front of Hailey, just at that moment the monster leaped. It cleared two yards before landing in front of Portman.

A scream tore from Hailey's lips as the monster tore into Portman's neck. Hailey ran to the left, trying to get out of the way but Portman fell backwards, pinning Hailey to the concrete wall behind her. Something warm spurted against Hailey's face and she blinked, startled.

"Mother fucker!" Kid roared, firing off a round of bullets. The noise was amplified in the small hallway and Hailey's ears rang. The creature screamed, and jerked back as the bullets tore through its torso.

"What is your status report?"

"Portman's down! Portman's been hit!" Kid cried, shouldering his gun.

Hailey was pushing at Portman, a metallic smell filled her nostrils and she pushed at him again. Kid finally pulled himback and then put an arm under Portman's shoulder.

Portman cried out, and tried to speak but it only came out as a bloody gurgle.

"Hailey! Take his other shoulder! Come on!"

Hailey struggled under Portman's weight, and her hands slipped on his bloodied clothes.

"Move!"

"I'm _trying_!" Hailey shouted back. Finally Hailey bent low, she hooked her shoulder under Portman's arm pit and wrapped her right arm around him in an awkward half hug. She leaned back and began pulling with all her might.

"We have to get him to the infirmary," Kid said.

"Okay," Hailey replied. She felt Portman's blood seeping down her neck, and down the front of her lilac T shirt. Portman was dead weight and it was not an easy task half carrying and half dragging the man to sickbay.

"We're coming up on you!" A voice cracked over Portman's intercom. It was only a manner of seconds before Goat and Destroyer rounded the corner, guns ready.

"Did you neutralize your attacker?"

"Yes! I fired, it fell, and we ran."

"Are you hurt?" Destroyer asked, taking in Hailey's blood spattered face and the large stain down the right side of her body.

"N-no," she replied. Destroyer laid a hand on her shoulder and Hailey ducked out of the way, transferring Portman over to him.

"We can't take any chances." Goat said, he pressed a button and the clip from his gun fell onto the floor. He quickly loaded another magazine and cocked the trigger. "We have no idea how many are still out there."

Hailey glanced frantically behind her. She wasn't sure if it wasn't the shadows playing tricks on her mind but she could have sworn she saw something flash past the dull light in the doorway at the end of the long hall.

Hailey was suddenly aware of a loud clanging over head.

"We're right above you!" Sarge yelled. "We'll cover you! Get Portman and Hailey back to the infirmary." The end of his sentence was drowned out by a round of gunfire.

Someone was screaming.

"Hailey!"

Someone shook her sharply and her head snapping backwards brought her back to reality.

Her throat was burning, finally she managed to sputter: "We're going to die!" Hailey's stomach swooped up into her throat as she felt Goat heft her up off her feet. He had one arm secured around her knees and he flung her arms around his neck.

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: For thou art with me;" Goat whispered into her ear, Hailey was bouncing around in his arms. "Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies—"

Hailey saw as the nanowall dissolved and Samantha run out.

"Get him in here!" She cried, "Hurry!"

Hailey felt a rush of cool air as they passed through the field into the lab. Goat dropped her down onto the closest surface he could find. Hailey let out spurts of breath, and Goat placed a hand on her head before whispering:

"Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the House of the Lord forever."

Hailey nodded blankly and it was then when she finally burst into tears.

* * *

_This story will be continued in Chapter Three._

* * *

**End Note**: The horror genre is not one that I foray into very often, and neither is military action and adventure. I hope that this chapter was okay anyway! Thanks for reading.

**Please review and let me know what you think, but no flames please!**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

**Disclaimer:** Any lines, characters or places you recognize do not belong to me, but to _Doom's_ respective owners. No infringement intended and no profit is being made from this story. I am only borrowing the characters for a while!

**Authors Note: **Wow, it has been a long time. Anyway, here is the third installment of my story, and I apologize that the timeline is off with the movie but I did my best! I am trying to keep as close to cannon as I can, but there are definitely some changes!

Also, I needed someone for Hailey to talk to and the Kid seemed like the best choice.

Please let me know what you think, constructive criticism is welcome! For example, I am worried I am relying too heavily on the movie. Please let me know if you agree.

&&&

"What happened?" Samantha asked. Hailey was jealous of the good doctor, so blissfully unaware.

"The thing came out of fucking no where!" Kid cried.

Samantha turned to see Portman laid out on the gurney, he was bleeding profusely from the neck. She saw a flash of lavender and gasped when she saw Hailey.

Hailey saw Samantha's face, and she looked down. Her right side was covered in Portman's blood. Hailey realized that it had been warm before, and now it was itching as it dried.

"What in the hell is she doing here?" Samantha demanded pointing at Hailey. "You were supposed to get her to the atrium!"

"I'm okay," Hailey's reply came out as a ragged whisper that Samantha ignored.

Hailey was only vaguely aware of everything that was going on around her, Reaper shouting, Goat giving orders and Kid trying to stay out of the way. She was focused on Dr. Grimm's frantic words.

"They evacuated the Atrium!" Samantha cried, "And you bring her back here?"

Hailey's lip trembled and her eyes filled with fresh, burning tears. Her voice was choked with tears as she cried, "it's _my_ fault!" Hailey pushed herself off the gurney. "I couldn't make it, I couldn't run!" She went to take a step forward on her bad ankle and her leg gave out. She landed hard, and her bloody hands smeared across the cool tile.

Goat was the first to react; everyone else was crowded around Portman. Sarge sat Portman on the table and Reaper and Destroyer helped to lie him down, Samantha waited as they lay him out on the table.

Portman.

Hailey lifted her hands in disgust; his blood was on her hands, she brushed her hands against her front, when she brought them back into view they were more bloodied than before. She looked at Goat, her eyes wide and terrified. She saw something that might have been pity cross his face.

Suddenly Hailey couldn't catch her breath. Her mouth was open in terrified pants and Goat moved to step away but she fumbled for his arm, pulling him towards her.

He was solid, smelled slightly of sweat and the metallic twang of gun powder.

Human.

Not whatever that _thing_ was.

He tried to shrug her off, but Hailey only gripped him tighter.

"No, no," Hailey muttered, she could feel the blood congealing on her neck, in the space between her breasts. Blood was spattered across her face, in her hair. The smell was in her nose, crawling down her throat.

Hailey couldn't stop the flow of words; they just kept spurting out of her mouth. "Get down, _get down_! Be quiet and stop moving. If you're quiet, you'll be safe; it can't get you if you're quiet. Please God, just be fucking _quiet!_" She bit hard on her lip, so hard she tasted blood.

"Doc!" Goat cried and Samantha glanced over. She saw Hailey; she was pale, covered in blood and gripping Goat's arm so tightly her knuckles were white. Hailey let out a strangled sob, and bent forward, retching onto the floor.

"She's having a panic attack!" Samantha cried, "Get her knees up," Goat did as he was ordered, brushing Hailey's hair out of her face. When Samantha reached them, she heard Hailey whisper.

"I'm not going anywhere with you holding onto me like that." Hailey's eyes were trained on Goat's face.

"Hailey," Samantha said, she looked at the young Tech II. "Hailey, sweetheart, you need to breathe deep, count to five. Look at me, good, now take deep breaths. One, two, three - keep breathing."

Goat moved quickly pushing Samantha aside and seized Hailey by the shoulders. Hailey was still blubbering; muttering nonsense and before Samantha could say anything he hauled Hailey to her feet and slapped her across the face.

Hailey's words caught in her throat, her cheek stung from the slap and Goat's grip was so tight it pinched.

"Calm down." His voice was quiet but commanding, "look at me." She looked at him. "Now is not the time to loose your shit. If you follow directions and don't do anything stupid you will be fine."

Hailey wanted to laugh, _fine_? She was no longer in the same universe as _fine_, but she didn't laugh instead she just nodded. Goat pushed Hailey into Samantha and she took her into her arms.

Hailey took a shaky breath, and looked at Samantha. "Is there a sink in here?" She asked, her voice sounded void of emotion, exhausted.

"By my work station," Samantha replied, "are you sure you can manage?"

Hailey nodded, and she hobbled off, careful to keep her weight off of her injured ankle. She rounded the corner and surveyed the room. She had only been in this room twice during the time she had spent on Olduvai. she did not have much interaction with Dr. Grimm as a technician II, she mostly had contact with hard hot sand and computer screens.

Hailey's work days on Olduvai had been long but rewarding; before Mars Hailey had never had the experience of a real dig before, the chance to discover something truly new and unique. Mars was uncharted territory as far as Earth was concerned, but the accident on Olduvai had halted any archaeological operations and it was only within the last three years that they had started digging again.

Hailey saw the sink and quickly made her way over, when she reached the wide basin she paused, resting her hands on the cool metal, she leaned forwards to take some pressure off her foot and she pressed her hands against the edge of the sink. She could see a distorted reflection in the chrome of the sink, her blond hair was matted down with a dark smear and her favourite T-shirt was ruined.

Hailey turned on the tap and let the water run hot before she peeled off her shirt, tossing it onto the floor. It landed with a sick, wet smack and she turned the water up to drown the sound out of her memory.

There was a bar of industrial strength soap sitting in a chipped red dish and Hailey took the soap in one hand and with the other guided her long hair under the spurt of steaming water.

The water scalded but Hailey bit her lip and ignored the burning pain; instead she soaped up her hands and began working through her bloody, tangled hair. She rinsed it twice before determining that no hot water in the world would clean her of this mess. She stood straight and grabbed a crisp green towel from a self above the sink. It was rough against her fingers and Hailey covered her face with the terry-cloth and let out a muffled scream.

Hailey sighed; she was stuck here on Olduvai without a clear idea of what that meant. _Something_ had gotten loose, Hailey had seen it with her own eyes, but more than that, she had no idea what that something was, or where it had come from.

Hailey bit her lip and reached for another clean towel to wash her body when she felt something touch her left shoulder.

This time her scream echoed through the room, and she spun around, striking out at whatever had touched her. Her clenched fist connected with something solid and she heard a grunt.

"Ow, sorry."

It was Kid.

Hailey's heart almost fell through her feet, she struck again and she caught him sharply in the shoulder.

"Are you stupid or something?" Hailey snapped, "There's some kind of creature out there and you're sneaking up on people?"

"I didn't want to scare you," he sighed, realizing how stupid the words sounded as soon as he spoke them. "Look, I am supposed to keep watch on you, make sure you're alright."

"You mean keep out of the way," Hailey muttered, she did _not_ need a babysitter who was likely no older than she was.

"Looks like that makes two," Kid snapped and Hailey regretted her words, or at least speaking them out loud.

"I'm fine," she said briskly, she turned back around and wet the washcloth before soaping it up. She was careful to get suds on every corner, realizing she was being obsessive compulsive but it was better than focusing on what was happening in the room next door. Finally she began washing her body. Washing away the congealed blood took a long time and by the time she was finished her skin was raw.

A lot of time had passed since she had said anything, and she said the first thing to come to mind.

"How is he?"

"How do you think?" Hailey gasped at the Sarge's voice and was suddenly very aware that she was only standing in pants and a bra. She quickly covered her body in a towel.

"Don't worry 4326, I'm not looking."

Hailey didn't miss the twinkle in the sergeant's eye before he turned to Kid.

"Hurry. We need your help." The Kid left with the sergeant and Hailey looked around the room trying to find a spare change of scrubs.

She saw a small locker, and she walked over, she pulled it open and saw a pile of white tank tops. She pulled one out of the locker and pulled it on, there was a lab coat hanging on a hanger above and she grabbed that as well, hoping that Dr. Grimm wouldn't mind.

She limped back down the hall and when she reached the doorway to the medical room she head the Sarge.

"Doctor, for the last time you are going to tell me what the hell is going on."

Samantha looked startled, "look Sergeant, I understand—"

"I don't think that you do!" Hailey flinched at his voice, and the Sarge continued on. "One of my men was just killed on my watch, by some _monster_! Now I am going to ask you a question one more time and you had better tell me the truth. Have you _ever_ seen anything like this on your archeological digs?"

"No!"

All eyes turned to Hailey; she stood dwarfed in one of Dr. Carmack's extra lab coats. Her light hair hung down her shoulders and rivulets of water dripped onto the floor.

"What?" Sarge barked.

Hailey didn't flinch this time; she looked at Sarge and stepped into the room. "I work the dig, and I have never seen anything like that, not dead and certainly not alive." She took a step closer, "I thought you were supposed to be helping us, not throwing around accusations! Dr. Grimm had nothing to do with any of this!" Hailey was too focused on Sarge to notice how Samantha looked away at the last comment.

Sarge stared at Hailey for a moment; her trembling hands that were clenched into angry fists and her eyes just as wide and terrified as they had been when he had first saw her. He looked at Samantha and chuckled, it was a hollow, empty sound. Hailey's brow furrowed and she looked to Dr. Grimm, confused.

"Doctor?" Sarge asked.

"It's impossible, the surface of this planet can't support life, it is completely dead!" Samantha cried.

"Why do I get the feeling that you're not telling me something?"

"I don't know!" Samantha's voice hitched and her eyes filled with tears.

Sarge muttered something and turned away, "Mac, I need you to give Pinky a gun."

Hailey knew that name; she had met him on her first day when she had come to the Arc.

"Why does he need a gun?" She asked.

"Because, he needs to be armed in case anything gets through to the other side." Reaper explained.

"Is that possible?" Hailey whimpered.

"Seal the Arc door!"

"There's another door," Samantha interrupted.

"Where?"

"It's the entrance to the archaeological dig." Hailey and Reaper replied in unison. Hailey looked at the soldier called Reaper.

"How do you know that?" Hailey asked.

"Our parents," Samantha said quickly.

"We don't have time for this, we need to meet Mac." Sarge said, "Duke, stay back with the Doctor and 4326."

"I have a name," Hailey snapped but Sarge ignored her.

"Yessir," Duke replied.

It took less than a minute for the men to clear out, and when they did Hailey slumped into a chair.

"What are we going to do?"

"Always with the hard questions, kid," Duke said, "don't worry, we'll take care of it."

That was just it, Hailey did not understand how there could be something to _take care of_ in the first place. How was it possible to have life on a planet that was dead? Hailey hadn't been on the Olduvai for long, but she was sure she would remember those _things_ wondering around the compound, making themselves at home.

"Duke, I need your help." Samantha called from the other side of the room. "I'm going to do an autopsy and I need to get it up onto the table."

"You're going to touch that thing?" Hailey asked, painfully aware of how shrill her voice sounded.

Samantha's smile didn't reach her eyes, "yes, unless of course you want to take over." She gave the young Tech II a wink and was relieved to see Hailey press her lips into a ghost of a smile.

Duke glanced at Hailey, "don't you touch dead things all the time?"

Hailey snorted, "Try non-living, pottery, tools. The only time I ever touched something dead was in grad school in Rome, and he was _long_ dead." Hailey looked away as Duke went over to help Dr. Grimm.

"Here, grab the other side."

"Easy."

"Right here, good."

Hailey heard the sound of a heavy weight being dropped onto a metal gurney and of a zipper being undone.

Hailey shook her head, when her shoelace broke this morning, she had expected a bad day, but she had never expected anything like this.

&&&

When the power cut out for the second time, Hailey glanced at Dr. Grimm. She also tried, unsuccessfully to keep her eyes off of that _thing_, the sound of the autopsy was bad enough and Hailey didn't need to take a closer look.

Samantha sighed and pulled her hands out of the creatures' chest. Hailey was perched on the counter that held Samantha's x-rays and she was clutching onto a clip board, taking any notes that were dictated to her.

"Have you seen Duke?"

Hailey put her pen down, "no." She eased herself off of the counter, thankful that Samantha had fitted her sprained ankle with a brace. Her ankle still ached but at least she could put a little more weight on it.

She followed Samantha as she moved through the lab, stopped only to dissolve the nanowall. The dark corridor wavered before them in eerie silence.

"That's not good is it?" Hailey asked.

"Shh," Samantha held up her hand, "stay here," she gave Hailey a pointed look before stepping out into the hallway.

Hailey bit her lip; she had a bad taste in the back of her throat. A scene like this seemed vaguely familiar… Hailey slapped a hand over her mouth; she had seen something just like this in a film they showed at the canteen the Friday before.

"Doctor—" Hailey said just as the nanowall solidified in front of her face. Maybe the doctor had seen the film as well.

Hailey moved quickly, hobbling over to gurney that held the creature. She saw a tray of medical instruments and she passed over the large bone saw and instead picked up a long thin knife, Hailey tested the weight in her hands and decided that for now this weapon would do.

She made her way back to the nanowall and gripped the knife tightly in her hands.

Suddenly Hailey heard a muffled scream and she quickly punched in her key code and half stumbled into the hall.

"Doctor!" Hailey cried, "Dr. Grimm are you alright?"

"Hailey," Samantha came around the corner, "I thought I told you to stay inside."

"I've seen this movie Doctor, trust me, it doesn't well," Hailey saw Duke following behind the doctor and she noticed that Samantha was holding her bone saw.

"Hailey," Duke interjected, "did you know that the good doctor and Reaper are related?" Just as the question left his mouth the lights flicked and went out for good. All three stood silently as a low growl echoed down the hall "Shit kid, I think I've seen this movie too."

Suddenly a dog barked and Samantha and Hailey both jumped.

"Both of you get back in the lab." Samantha hesitated, "get back in the lab!" Hailey didn't hesitate to pull Samantha back towards the key pad for the nanowall and when Samantha dissolved the wall Hailey ducked inside.

The dog flashed its teeth in a growl and suddenly whined, it was a high pitched pitiful sound and Hailey felt the hair on the back of her neck stand on end.

"This is going to sound crazy," Hailey whispered, "but I swear that's the dog I saw that _thing_ eating."

"What?" Samantha hissed.

"I'm telling you, it's the same dog!"

"That's impossible," Samantha hissed just as Hailey screamed and Samantha saw the mass of scarred flesh and fangs too late as it brought its massive maw down on Duke's shoulder, Duke cried out and Hailey screamed again.

Duke fired off a round that caught the beast in the chest, and it stumbled back.

"Hurry!" Samantha cried as Duke fumbled with his gun, time slowed before Duke finally pulled a hand gun from the holster at his waist.

"Come on!" Hailey screamed and Duke finally began to run backwards while still firing his gun. At last Duke flung himself into the lab and he toppled into Samantha and Hailey bringing them both to the ground. Thankfully Samantha had managed to catch the panel to the nanowall at the last second and the beast was trapped halfway inside and halfway outside of the lab.

In the fall Hailey had dropped her knife and she scrambled to pick it up just as the creature shot something from its mouth. Duke quickly yanked Hailey towards him just in time and the putrid worm flew by them and landed with a smack against the gurney.

Hailey kept fumbling for her weapon and finally her fingers found purchase, she was up on her feet in a flash.

"Hailey!" Samantha yelled as Hailey launched herself at the creature.

Hailey stabbed the monster in the neck and black blood spurted from the wound, she kept stabbing, plunging the knife into the creatures flesh until she felt someone grab her elbows, they tried to pull her back but she wrenched herself out of their grasp. She slashed the creatures face before someone grabbed her again, twisting her right arm gently but with just enough pressure that her fingers twitched in pain and she dropped the knife.

"Stop!" Duke said and Hailey could feel his breath against her ear. She struggled against him for a moment but he didn't loosen his hold.

"It's dead Hailey!" Samantha said, touching the young tech on the shoulder, Hailey flinched away from her.

Duke half carried Hailey back to the gurney that he had set her on when they first met. She was trembling and when he let her go, her body went limp and she just managed to catch herself before she fell to the floor.

"Damn," Duke whispered as he glanced at the nanowall, arterial spray had spattered up the door and across the ceiling and multiple wounds were oozing black blood. He turned back to Hailey and gave her a bit of a shake, "remind me to never get on your bad side."

&&&

**End Note:** I know that to some of you Hailey's sass towards the Sarge won't seem realistic but Hailey isn't reacting to get a rise out of him she is doing it because she is legitimately upset. I just wanted to make a note, incase there was any question about that. Also, please suspend your disbelief about the ankle brace; I need to fix that issue… so I hope you can forgive me! Finally, the weapon of choice is what is known as a breadknife, I decided that the bone saw just was a bit too ridiculous a choice, even though it would be very effective.


End file.
